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Who has the best hotel discounts?
07-01-2019, 02:24 PM
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#1
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 770
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Who has the best hotel discounts?
Wondering who offers the best hotel discounts from your experience. I currently am a member of AARP, USAA, Costco, and Hilton Rewards. Hoping to find a good rate for a short stay in MN in December. Yeah, that's right - December. Who do you use for hotel pricing/discounts?
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07-01-2019, 02:27 PM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,612
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Booking.com Better than affinity cards.
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Only got A dimple, would have preferred 2!
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07-01-2019, 04:06 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
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Choice Hotels has a 2 night special (2 different properties) and you get a $50 gift card. That's the best deal going right now.
Big name hotel prices are getting out of sight, especially in big cities. I'm sorry, but at $250-350 per night, I'm not going to be traveling any longer.
We mostly go through LaQuinta.com or Booking.com. Airbnb is also getting more attractive all the time--staying in apartments or B&B's.
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07-01-2019, 04:45 PM
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#4
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Posts: 2,676
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Yeah, Booking.com or Travelocity to find the best rate, then I'll usually check the hotel website and book there unless the rate is higher there.
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-Looking to FIRE in the mid-2020s, which would be our mid-50s.
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07-01-2019, 04:55 PM
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#5
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Atlanta Suburb
Posts: 1,499
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We have gotten some very good deals using Priceline's Express Deals. But, you do not know the name of the hotel before booking. You do get to see the area and the star rating before booking. With a little research, I can normally figure out which hotel is probably the express deal.
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"Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could
It's wanting more that's gonna send me to my knees" - John Mayer
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07-01-2019, 05:16 PM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Not your question, but I've been happy with AirBnBs as far as value goes. I find them less expensive and more comfortable than a hotel. On a recent trip, we had a whole 2 BR apartment for less than a hotel room.
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07-01-2019, 05:19 PM
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#7
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamaman
Choice Hotels has a 2 night special (2 different properties) and you get a $50 gift card. That's the best deal going right now.
Big name hotel prices are getting out of sight, especially in big cities. I'm sorry, but at $250-350 per night, I'm not going to be traveling any longer.
We mostly go through LaQuinta.com or Booking.com. Airbnb is also getting more attractive all the time--staying in apartments or B&B's.
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Just tried redeeming Choice Hotel $50 gift card and they give you an extra 5,000 points and take the remainder from your account ... a RIP OFF! I left the points because they are worth more than $50!
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07-01-2019, 05:22 PM
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#8
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
Not your question, but I've been happy with AirBnBs as far as value goes. I find them less expensive and more comfortable than a hotel. On a recent trip, we had a whole 2 BR apartment for less than a hotel room.
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Probably if you have more than 2 people. For just the 2 of us I never see anything cheaper than just a hotel room ? I must be looking at the site wrong or something ?
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07-01-2019, 05:51 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Coronado
Posts: 3,706
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I usually end up booking through hotels.com. Spend 10 nights in hotels booked through them and they'll give you a free night worth 1/10th of what you spent. I do check the rates at the hotel websites and will book directly if it's really cheaper, but even the ones that have a best price guarantee are rarely 10% less than what I find on hotels.com.
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07-01-2019, 05:53 PM
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#10
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 364
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Has any ever tried to google reunions or convention's at a hotel you want to stay at and use their groups discount code to get a better deal ?
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07-02-2019, 09:50 AM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,140
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I have found that booking directly usually gets me the best rate. I use AAA rate if available, usually a decent discount.
I almost booked one European hotel recently through hotels.com which claimed a 10% discount. But it turned out they weren’t including the taxes in their supposedly discount quote! When I saw the total it was pretty much what the hotel offered directly, so I booked through the hotel. The European hotels always include the regular taxes in their quote, but don’t include the much lower city taxes. You really have to keep an eye out!
The booking.com website quotes do include regular taxes and usually match what the hotel is quoting directly, but sometimes doesn’t offer as many room choices.
I haven’t checked Costco for hotel deals.
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Retired since summer 1999.
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07-02-2019, 09:58 AM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Chicago West Burbs
Posts: 3,014
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I'm not sure if this holds true today, Some years back I was at an out of town business meeting. I booked the recommended hotel on one of the major on-line sites, (Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotels.com etc). I can't remember exactly which site I used. While I did have the lowest room rate by a very small amount, I did not get the amenities that others got such as the continental breakfast and free wifi. If one is looking for the lowest rate, pay attention to what is included at that rate.
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07-02-2019, 10:43 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 5,858
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I frequently look online through hotel.com or similar and the hotel website for best prices, then call hotel directly and talk with the front desk. I'll ask if they can do any better, then ask for AARP discount. Usually get a pretty good deal.
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Give a Man a fish, he will eat for a day.
Teach a Man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.
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07-02-2019, 11:45 AM
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#14
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 770
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OP here. Very interesting and helpful information. Thanks for the replies so far.
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Retired: July 5, 2019
Seize the day....Soli Deo gloria
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07-02-2019, 12:53 PM
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#15
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 929
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We use Hotwire booked via ebates for road trips. Generally choose the 3 star hotel with 85pct or higher recommendation, breakfast, free parking, free internet. Usually get a Starbridge suite with kitchenette or a Hampton inn/similar. Way cheaper than the rack rate. We are really ambivalent to brand as long as it's decent.
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07-02-2019, 01:36 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Champaign
Posts: 4,722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cathy63
I usually end up booking through hotels.com. Spend 10 nights in hotels booked through them and they'll give you a free night worth 1/10th of what you spent. I do check the rates at the hotel websites and will book directly if it's really cheaper, but even the ones that have a best price guarantee are rarely 10% less than what I find on hotels.com.
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+1 We're silver members. One reason I like hotels.com: I booked an apartment in Budapest with them. Terrible place, smelly, we had to go buy toilet paper, paper towels and clothes soap. Manager did not answer the phone. Not very clean, but in a great location. The reviews gave 5/5, fantastic reviews. I know these were all planted by whatever syndicate owned them. I called customer service and complained. They almost immediately gave me a $250 voucher to use at any hotel within the next year. They didn't second guess my complaint. I gave the place in Budapest a terrible review and called it "Beware."
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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07-02-2019, 01:48 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: City
Posts: 10,351
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We're AirBNB people. If you want to be downtown, you may be able to find an AirBNB apartment in a building connected to the skyway system -- stay indoors IOW. Lots of stories in the Mpls paper about new downtown apartments being bought strictly to be rented short-term. So in the winter you might find deals on near-new properties.
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07-02-2019, 02:16 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,912
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IF you plan on being at a downtown property on weekend nights then check the business class hotel websites. In many cities these hotels have excellent weekend specials but you typically have to prepay and there is no cancellation.
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07-03-2019, 07:52 PM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CRLLS
I'm not sure if this holds true today, Some years back I was at an out of town business meeting. I booked the recommended hotel on one of the major on-line sites, (Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotels.com etc). I can't remember exactly which site I used. While I did have the lowest room rate by a very small amount, I did not get the amenities that others got such as the continental breakfast and free wifi. If one is looking for the lowest rate, pay attention to what is included at that rate.
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Yes, that’s a good point. Some places offer extra incentives. One hotel gave us 2 hours earlier checkin and 3 hours later checkout times which was handy for that particular stay. Others have thrown in extras.
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Retired since summer 1999.
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07-04-2019, 03:55 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,003
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Points and $ in the IHG Rewards Program.
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"The mountains are calling, and I must go." John Muir
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